Constellations
by chipswiththat
Summary: Hell, the thought of having a family rarely crossed his mind. Adopting a 15 year old teen off the streets of Cartagena? Even less so. A collection of shorts about Nate and Sully through the years. Spoilers for UC3, Rated T for language.
1. Ursa Major

**Constellations** – _Hell, the thought of having a family rarely crossed his mind. Adopting a 15 year old teen off the streets of Cartagena? Even less so._ A collection of shorts about Nate and Sully through the years.

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><p><em><strong>Ursa Major<strong>_

It's the third night since Sully took the kid under his proverbial wing. In all honesty, it was a decision the man didn't quite understand. Hell, the thought of having a family rarely crossed his mind. Adopting a 15 year old teen off the streets of Cartagena? Even less so. And yet, it just felt right. Sure, he didn't want to see the kid get shot for being in the wrong place at the wrong time, but something inside him – god forbid he was actually developing some sort of fatherly instinct – wanted to give the kid some guidance, a push in the right direction, a _friend._

So far it had worked, the kid had stuck around while Sully tied up a few lose ends from the botched job. For the most part he followed the man like a lost puppy, but would bolt if Sully stayed in the same place for too long. Boredom seemed to spur the kid into action, often Nate would return with trinkets stolen from vendors and cash lifted off oblivious tourists. Sully wasn't lying to himself when he said the kid had talent, but petty thievery wasn't something he wanted to encourage. He'd have to figure out a way to tell the Nate that later.

But first things first, finding out where the hell the kid went. Sully only left the room 10 minutes ago, and when he returned Nate was missing and the window wide open. The first thought that crossed his mind was that the kid simply took all he could and ran, he _had_ been acting rather cagey lately but the man chalked that up to Nate being a hormonal teenager. But a quick search revealed nothing to be missing. Poking his head through the window and looking up Sully sighed, he really should've know better by now.

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><p>"You know, kid, when most people can't sleep they grab a glass of water and a book. Not climb to the top of a hotel." Sully asked as he exited the stairwell onto the roof, if there was anywhere the kid would've gone it would be up. Even in the brief time he had known Nate it became clear that the kid had an unparalleled ability find handholds on any building, a complete lack of vertigo, and little to no sense of self-preservation. A brief glimpse of movement and a stifled snarky retort from the opposite end of the rooftop only confirmed the man's hunch. Sully let out a sigh, letting his gaze move skywards as he made his way over.<p>

Nate sat stiffly, giving Sully a quick glance as he sat down besides him, toying with a sketchbook Sully had seen him pull out a few times during the past days. It was evident he wasn't used to being this close to people, at least in a manner that didn't involve pickpocketing. For all the streetwise charming attitude the kid projected, there were times when reality poked through. Sully didn't know how long Nate had been living on the streets of Cartagena, but the kid's actions betrayed the rosy story he preferred to tell.

"Know anything about constellations?" Sully questioned, absently flicking the ashes from the cigar. It was a shot in the dark, but maybe just talking about something would ease the kid's mind.

"Uh..." Nate bit his lip as he scanned the horizon "There's the big and little dipper, right?' he finished, pointing to a collection of stars just to the north.

"Not bad, not bad." Sully chuckled and gave Nate a friendly slap on the back, "Big Dipper, Little Dipper – Ursa Major, Ursa Minor – Great Bear, Little Bear. Pick your poison, kid." He motioned to the constellations with the cigar "Now, what's important about these two..." Sully paused as he heard a small yawn, Nate stretched and rubbed his eyes "... is that you can use them to find true north."

"True north..." the kid yawned again, louder this time "got it."

"See those two stars on the far right side of the dipper?" Nate nodded drowsily "Follow the line..." Sully once again used the cigar as a makeshift pointer, glowing embers competing with the stars above. "and viola- Polaris. Every star in the sky rotates around that one little point- kid?"

Sully stopped as when felt a warm weight on his left side.

Nate had slumped over and was resting his head on the man's shoulder. Sully let out a low chuckle and ruffled the kid's shaggy hair, "Trust you to go out like a light once I start talking."

The kid responded with a sleepy grumble, but otherwise didn't move. Perfectly content to use the man as makeshift pillow. Maybe that was all the kid needed, after the craziness of the museum bust and who knows how long on the street, just to know someone had his back. Or at least it would be nice to think it was that simple, either way Sully knew he wouldn't be moving from the rooftop for a while.

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><p><strong>Author's Note: <strong>Once it was revealed that Sully had a comprehensive knowledge of the sky and stars, I couldn't help but write this. Hopefully y'all enjoyed this!


	2. Venus

_**Venus**_

_Lima, Peru_

It wasn't supposed to have ended like this, it was supposed to have been a simple job. The first job that Sully allowed him to be an actual part of and of course he screwed it up. These thoughts raced around Nate's head as he looked around the detainment cell he was in: small, gray, low ceiling illuminated by a single flickering bulb. It felt like he'd been in here for hours, but time seemed to be moving in lurches. Small spaces made him feel constricted, muddled his thoughts, and he could _just_ feel the bruise, from missing that crucial jump, blossoming on his shoulder.

He was actually in prison, and a Peruvian prison at that; at least as a minor he was given his own cell, Nate chuckled mirthlessly at his fortune. He drew his knees up to his chest, perfectly content to stare at the floor. Maybe memorizing the specks of dirt would be a better way to pass the time than pacing restlessly. Was Sully even going come back for him? He'd known the older man for 2 months now, which looking back was the longest he'd really actually truly known somebody. Nate shook his head and mentally berated himself, over thinking was _not_ what he needed to do right now.

The sound of footsteps announced the presence of another person at the cell door, a shadow cast by the light above crept towards the bench Nate was sitting on.

"Váyase." The teen stated flatly, still looking downwards, was it _that_ difficult to see that he wanted to be left alone? The shadow only shifted and let out a sigh, preparing to speak "_Váyase a la chingada_!" Nate snapped, anger and frustration seeping into his voice.

"Nate."

_Oh crap._ The teen would recognize that voice anywhere, his head snapped up almost immediately.

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><p>The bail was paid, and the walk of shame to the jeep commenced. The sun started to peak up above the horizon, quickly dissolving the night sky. "Did they lock up your tongue as well? I've never seen you so damn quiet." Sully questioned, leaning against the side of the battered vehicle.<p>

"No." The teen rubbed his shoulder, but winced and quickly removed the hand. Sure hurt a hell lot more than a bruise, maybe he pulled something.

"Then what's the hold up?"

"Aren't you _mad?_" Nate shouted throwing his hands up in exasperation. The frustration from the failure of his own skill, spending the night in a cell, growing pain in his shoulder when presented against Sully's unfazed manner made the teen's blood boil. "I screwed us over! I couldn't even make it out of some stupid museum. I let you d-"

"Kid."

"_What_." Sully was surprised at intensity of the glare the kid shot him, better late than never to experience the hormonal fury of a teenager.

"Listen, will ya'?" Sully pinched the bridge of his nose, "Am I mad? Hell, I'd be lying if I said I wasn't. Did you let me down? No."

Nate opened his mouth to interject.

"What did I say about listening? Kid, if I really hated you as much as you seem to think right now-" The man gestured back to the police station, "I could've left you to rot back in that cell. Secondly, accidents happen and you're still learning. You were probably runnin' like a bat outta hell and slipped up. Thirdly..." Sully walked over to the truck bed of the jeep, rolling back a canvas tarp. Nestled between some boxes, a familiar glint of gold.

"We still got half of the job done, if the client isn't happy they can kiss my goddamn ass." The older man climbed into the driver's seat. Meanwhile Nate fastened the tarp back over the boxes and bounty, and clambered into the passenger seat.

"Let's get out of here, I'll take a look at your shoulder once we get back."

Sully turned the key in the ignition and the jeep shuddered to life.

**Author's Note:**

Thank you for all the awesome reviews! Venus was once known as both the Morning and Evening Star, and often is one of the brightest objects at sunrise. Hope y'all enjoyed this chapter!

**Translation:**

_Váyase_ – Go away

_Váyase a la chingada_ – Piss off/Go to hell


	3. Carina

**Edit:** Thanks to The WatchMaKer for pointing out that Sully had a Grumman G-21 Goose and not a Grumman G-73 Mallard.

_**Carina**_

_Key West, Florida_

Had time really passed this quickly? Sully questioned as he nursed his second beer, the tinny drone of the radio coupled with warm breeze made it easy to get lost in thought. Or maybe he was just happy to be back in the good ol' USA again.

"Hey, Sully. You going senile or something? You've been staring at the wall for a while." Nate joked, playfully punching Sully in the shoulder. Nate was messily sprawled over the plastic chair in way that suggested that every limb had a mind of its own and saw no need to communicate with any of the others. If the kid actually managed to be taller than Sully in the end the man would never hear the end of it. Thankfully the Nate's growth spurt seemed to have leveled off, still didn't mean that Nate wasn't the gangliest conglomeration of limbs on the planet. Watching him adjust to suddenly longer limbs was a show and half, and don't even get Sully started on the climbing.

"It's called thinking, you might actually benefit from it sometime." Sully quipped back, taking another swig of the beer.

"Haha, very funny." Nate replied, voice cracking spectacularly, a brief look of horror flashed across the teen's face. Sully chuckled, for all the angst he had to put up with it was nice to have karma put things right.

"We've got to meet the seller in..." Sully glanced at his watch "about 45 minutes. It's a long walk to the marina, and we don't want to be late."

Nate continued to lounge, it was his turn to space out now, absently eating some fries from the burger he had ordered earlier. No use in talking to a brick wall, Sully made his way out- he knew Nate well enough to guess what would happen next.

"Hey-Hey! Sully! W-wait, I'm coming!"

The sound of a table wobbling back into place and a fry basket clattering to the floor rang out in the small diner was Nate ran out after Sully.

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><p>Nate vaulted over the fence, fumbling his landing resulted in the teen crashing into the sand with a loud thud. Since <em>when<em> did his legs hit the ground that quickly?

"Kid, you're about as stealthy as a drunken elephant." Sully stated, looking over his shoulder to see the teen frantically dusting any evidence of the botched landing off his jeans. Buy Nate new clothing and within a week it looks like it's been through hell and back, normally this wouldn't be an issue. But the damn kid was outgrowing clothing like it was going out of style.

"That doesn't even make sense!"

"Ah, sure it does."

"That's because you're a crazy old bastard."

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><p>"So wait, you're buying a boat? Geez, I didn't know you wanted to retire already." Nate said, stepping from one bobbing platform to another. He never pegged Sully as a yacht or fishing boat sort of person, but you learn something new everyday.<p>

"Nah. Something ever better. You're not gonna believe it." Sully replied unfazed by the kid's poke at his apparent age. Nate was always amazed by the man's talent for magically materializing cigars, because Sully was once again chomping down on one. Maybe that was Sully's plan after all, just to stop in Key West to pick up as many cigars as physically possible.

"So like what, a _flying_ boat?" Nate questioned, running a hand through his hair. It was getting long, and it's not like he had to rely upon himself to cut it anymore- maybe he should cut it shorter?

"Hit the nail on the goddamn head, why don't you?" Sully chuckled and stopped. Gesturing to the hunk of metal bobbing up down in the surf. "Grumman G-21 Goose. Ain't she a beauty?"

"Woah..." Nate gaped, he had only seen seaplanes like this on TV "Well, if you squint really hard and mentally remove the rust and corrosion, maybe." He raised a hand to shield his eyes from the sunlight glinting of the water. It _was_ a pretty impressive looking plane, but wear and tear made it look about as flight worthy as the sailboats moored at the dock.

"Glad to know we see eye to eye, kid." Sully laughed, taking a long drag of the cigar. "Because your new job is helping me get this beauty back in working condition."

Nate just groaned.

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><p><strong>Author's Notes:<strong>

Been on a writing kick this weekend- so double updates! An especially lighter one this time round.

Carina is Latin for the keel of a ship. It's primarily a constellation found in the southern hemisphere, but you can catch glimpses of it above the southern horizon in Key West.

Thanks once again for reading!


	4. Orion

_**Orion**_

"Have to find Sully. Have to find Sully. Have to find Sully." The teen repeated frantically under his breath, glancing wildly at the structure he was in. How the _hell_ did a temple like this hide away in the Indonesian mountainside? "Come on, _come on_, _come on_!" Nate pleaded, voice growing more and more ragged by the second "There has to be another way!" but the wide corridor he was in funneled down to a single point, an ornate doorway. The flickering torch Nate carried casted a orange glow on the stony entrance to of the passageway that opened up before him. Old columns had collapsed under their own weight, rotting wood beams loomed precariously overhead. The teen quickly looked over his shoulder, stalling was costing him precious seconds on the lead he had from the goons chasing him. The approaching din of footfalls was growing louder by the second. He had to move, _now._

Nate ran, sneakers slapping loudly against the floor.

"The little bastard went that way!" A harsh voice echoed up from behind Nate, out of the corner of his eye he could see another cast of orange light bleeding upon the walls.

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><p>"<em>Guns, the "great" equalizer." Sully gave a humorless laugh, handing Nate the 9mm pistol "It doesn't matter who's stronger or braver, kid, just whoever pulls the damn trigger first. So get rid of any of those noble ideas taking a fist to a gunfight."<em>

_The weight of the gun felt odd in his hand, for most of his life Nate either ran away from conflict or talked and charmed his way out of it. Even though the incident in Cartagena was now over a year ago, memories of being corned and an inch from his life on that rooftop began to surface. He felt a twinge of anxiety in his stomach, was Sully asking him to do something he couldn't all those months ago?_

_It didn't take long for Sully to sense Nate's discomfort. "Look, I'm not asking you to shoot someone. But you need to learn how to handle one of these." The older man sighed, and the took pistol back, placing it gently on the table. Nate hadn't even touched the safety. Each day the kid wanted to be more and more involved, it was easy to send Nate off to lift artifacts, maps, and small treasures. But there was a threshold that was rapidly approaching, it was just idiotic to have a partner in this business that couldn't defend themselves._

"_Nate, you of all people should know that our line of work is dangerous." Sully looked back over at the kid. Nate nodded, trying his best to stand tall and hide the apprehension in his eyes. _

"_Let's try this again, okay?" Sully asked, handing the pistol over once again. Nate once again took it hesitantly. Who was he to force a 16 year of all people to learn how to use a gun? The kid would thank him later. _

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><p>"Get Him!" The voices were much louder this time, Nate vaulted over another fallen column and ducked under a beam. The teen beelined straight towards the exit, instead of moving around the obstacles. Nate glanced over his shoulder to see how much space was between him and his pursuers.<p>

Bad decision. A resounding bang ricocheted about the narrow corridor, and Nate immediately dove behind one of the columns for cover, heart racing. His ears rang, white noise making it painful to concentrate. Adrenaline was flooding his system, making his hands jittery as he reached for his holster. Nate was slowly becoming adjusted the weight of the shoulder holster, much like how he rarely noticed the ring around his neck, but right now it felt like lead. Every fibre of his being screamed to run, to get the hell out of this godforsaken temple, the mission to find Sully abandoned.

More gunshots. He couldn't tell if the men were moving closer, or if his ears were still recovering. The teen hugged his cover even tighter, but he grasped the gun and peeked over the column. His hands shook, being under pressure like this was a completely different animal than the shooting range. Nate pulled the trigger, even after firing with this gun before the recoil still surprised him, and slipped back under cover.

The fire was returned.

The teen glanced upward, bullets had struck the rotten beams above, dislocating them. Creaks and groans filled the hallway splinters begin to rain downwards the groans quickly escalated into a roar. Nate rolled out of the way, as wood and stone crashed from above. The hallway was blocked off giving Nate some temporary shelter. The teen gave a tenuous sigh of relief, trying to stand up. The sudden movement sent a sharp jolt of pain up his leg, and panic racing through his mind. His foot was trapped underneath the debris. Nate made hasty work removing the rubble, his foot didn't _look_ broken and he could still wiggle his toes, but it sure as hell hurt. The teen stood up shakily, avoiding putting too much weight on the injured foot. He hobbled over to where his torch had rolled, leaning over to pick it up.

BANG.

Pain seared through his arm, Nate dropped the torch. With a hiss of pain the teen pressed his hand to the wound. Blood welled up between his fingers, Nate grit his teeth trying to keep the growing pain at bay. It was a graze, but that didn't make it any less painful.

"Since Victor's making himself scarce, you'll have to do." A deceivingly warm southern accent proclaimed, footsteps approaching like an executioner's march.

"Fool's gone soft, used to be the best in the business, has a midlife crisis and picks up some street trash from Columbia," Even though Nate couldn't see the backstabbing bastard, he can hear the man spit at the mention of him "and trusts_ it _more than man he's worked with for the past 5 years."

"You can see, _boy_, why I might be angry?" more footsteps echoed around the corridor.

Nate's hand shakily traveled back down to his holster, fumbling to remove the gun. He didn't want to do this, he _wasn't_ a killer. Nathan Drake _wasn't_ a murder. This _wasn't _happening, Sully would be here any minute. Just like back in Cartagena. But what if he _wasn't_ a small part of his mind, addled by searing pain and exhaustion, suggested. The man was reticent to take him on this job in the first place, maybe Sully had finally wised up to what a stupid decision he made a little over a year ago.

"And what's happened to him now?" A cold laugh cut through the stale air, Nate slowly raised the gun towards the approaching figure. "Gone, scrammed and scammed his way outta here. Leaving behind _you_ to distract me. Gotta hand it to Victor, it near damn well wo-"

BANG.

The figure let out a gurgle and crumpled to the floor. Nate dropped the pistol to the ground, weapon clattering loudly against the floor, breath coming out in ragged gasps. Eyes not leaving the unmoving body before him, the teen slumped towards the floor as his legs gave out.

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><p>"Kid?"<p>

"_Nate!_" The voice bellowed this time, raw and laced with concern.

"Over h-here."

Nate vaguely registered hands clasping him on the shoulders, fingers gently inspecting the bullet wound, arms securely lifting him off the ground. Just the warmth and comfort of a living breathing person, not like the one which collapsed before him for what seemed like an eternity ago.

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><p><strong>Author's Note: <strong>I lied, have another update. Have a rather lengthy and darker update, featuring an unnamed random villain. Hope y'all enjoyed this chapter.


	5. Orion Pt II

**Author's Note:** Sorry for the massive hiatus, personal obligations and finals got in the way. But I'm back and writing! I'll be wrapping up the Orion "trilogy" of sorts soon, so I'll be taking some prompts. Feel free to message them to me.

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><p>"<em>So when are you heading out?" Nate asked, pushing the remains of a fried egg around his plate with a fork. The kid often volunteered to make breakfast, as frying eggs was about the extent of the his abilities, much to Sully's bemusement. Surprisingly Nate hadn't managed to burn the small kitchenette down yet, though he was initially baffled by the coffee percolator. Sully appreciated the kid's attempt at a thank you gesture, though there was another question as to why he felt the need to do so. <em>

"_Hmmm?" Sully replied between sips of coffee. The man's brow furrowed and he placed the mug back onto the worn table. Once Nate figured out how to work the percolator, coffee around the apartment seemed to have doubled in strength. _

"_It's not like you're hidin' it or anything. Your duffle, the one you take on day trips," Nate gestured over his shoulder absently with the fork "has been by the door since last night." _

"_Can't hide anything from you, can I?" _

"_Hey, you're the one who tells me to be constantly observant. And it was pretty obvious anyways." Nate responded jokingly, but he let the last statement hang in the air. The teen impatiently began to tap the plate with his fork letting Sully know that he'd like an answer to his question, please._

"_Just meeting with an old friend of mine." _

"_Ooooohhh, that sort of friend?" One minor lapse in judgement and Sully quickly learned to never bring anyone back to the apartment or let it slip around the kid. Especially if he wanted any peace of mind for the next few days._

"_No. An old colleague of mine" The impressive smirk on Nate's face fell almost immediately, "Got a call about a possible job yesterday. Didn't want to bore you with a reunion and small talk." _

_Nate bit his lower lip, about to speak. Did Sully not want him there? It's not like he would slow the man down or anything. As skilled as the teen thought he was at hiding his emotions, Sully easily recognised Nate's piss poor poker face. _

"_Oh, what the hell. I'm leaving in a half hour, if you're packed by then count yourself in."_

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><p>As much as he would never admit to the kid, Sully's stomach lurched when he found Nate next to that collapsed tunnel. Ask the man just a year ago if he thought he was capable of such emotions, and he'd laugh. A quick look over revealed that while the teen was covered in dirt and soot, right ankle swollen, and the sleeve of the cotton tee splotched with a growing rusty brown stain- the physical injuries, all things considered, weren't as bad as they appeared.<p>

What worried Sully most was the pallor of the Nate's skin and the hollow expression he gave the man. It looked like the kid had seen a ghost. Which, for all intents and purposes, he had. Oh, goddammit. The words he told the kid earlier were biting him in the ass, _"Look,_ _I'm not asking you to shoot someone."_ It was lie, and the man knew it.

But first things first, get Nate out of here.

"Nate. I'm going to pick you up, okay?" The man stated slowly, voice hoarse from the yelling before. Sully didn't want to shock the kid by any sort of sudden movement. "Mmmh." The kid responded with a slight nod, it was difficult in the dim light to tell if Nate was actually registering what was going on. But at least he heard what Sully said. The kid was heavier than his scrawny looks suggested.

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><p><em>The jeep rumbled to a stop outside a small wooden building, resting on stilts to raise it above the occasional far-reaching high tide. The porch was littered with an assortment of chairs, most plastic and weatherbeaten. For the most part the building looked as if was out of use for most of the year, but Nate wouldn't exactly call it a vacation home. If the military grade armament cases haphazardly covered by a plastic tarp meant anything. <em>

_Nonetheless, Nate quickly hopped out of the passenger seat and onto the sandy earth below. Swatting at swarm of gnats as he waited for Sully to follow his lead; first oppressive humidity and now insects, Nate was regretting leaving the air conditioned apartment by the passing minute._

"_All those romantic conquests finally catch up to you, Victor?" _

_The slamming of a jeep door was followed by a loud guffaw from Sully, who simply motioned for Nate to follow him up. The teen obliged, albeit glaring at the figure leaning against the screen door on the porch. _

"_Never change Barrett, how are you?" Nate hung back at the base of the stairs leading up to the porch, watching as Sully roughly clasped the other man on the shoulder. He was smaller than his booming drawl suggested, sandy hair close cropped, dark eyes deep set and small. _

"_Doin' well, now... are y'all gonna explain that? You told me it was just gonna be us two, like old times." It was said innocently enough, and understandably Barrett wasn't expecting for some kid to be tailing Sully like a lost animal._

"_Nate." The teen interjected, not allowing Sully to explain. "I do have a name." Nate could feel Sully sending an annoyed glare his way, but pleasantries could go to hell. For all he cared, Barrett started this. _

"_Well then, Nate." Barrett flashed a smile, holding the screen door open "Looks like we got off on the wrong foot, why don't you join us and help yourself to a coke. Deal?" _

_The offer of a temporary reprieve from the tropical weather broke the teen's resolve, and he quickly followed Sully up the steps and into the interior of the building. "Victor, remember that time we were in Indonesia?" Nate briefly listened to the two men converse, but the conversation quickly devolved into nostalgia. Doing his best to block out Barrett's drawling tones the teen scoured the fridge for the aforementioned coke.  
><em>

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><p><strong>Author's Note<strong>: A lot of backstory here, but next chapter will be motly flashback free, promise! And as always, comments and reviews are greatly appreciated.


	6. Orion Pt III

**Author's Note:** Hello again! It's been a little over 9 months since the last update. Let me apologize for that. Like I said, I'm always open for requests and suggestions. Mild headcanon time for Nate's origins, I'll be peppering those in future chapters. Thank you to everyone who still follow and review.

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><p><em><strong>Orion Pt III<strong>_

The clicking of the ceiling fan was the first thing Nate noticed, as his eyes blinked back sleep. The slowly rotating blades emerging from hazy shapes in a few seconds, the rest of the room coming into focus soon after. It was pretty much standard to what he had become accustomed to in the past year, sturdy with a veneer of disrepair. Wallpaper under the constant assault of heat and humidity was beginning to curl and fray at the edges. The window was propped open, screen keeping insects at bay.

He'd seen much worse, he had lived in much worse for years.

Shifting his weight, Nate reached out his arms to prop himself up. Dull pain rose to hissing static as his left arm crumpled from supporting his body. With a cushioned thump Nate flopped back onto the bed, heart pounding and mind reeling as the memories from the previous night resurfaced.

_Claustrophobia and the smell of ancient air intermingling with gunpowder. Stone cast in extreme relief from the waning light of a torch. Panic setting in as the walls closed in and collapsed, desperation crashing down as he was cornered, alone, an inch within his own life. Taking another life._

Sickness quickly settled in his stomach, the world seemed to shrink and suffocate. Nate locked into a staring competition with fan above. Eyes tracking lazy circuits it made.

Click. Click. Click.

The sudden scrape of furniture against the wooden floor, brought the world back to focus.

"What is it with you and getting me fired?" Sully chuckled, arms draped over the back of the desk chair he had moved closer to the bed. Shirt rumpled, and eyes dark. Neither of the two had an easy night. Nate simply shot Sully an incredulous look as he sat up, good to know the kid was starting to settle back into old ways.

"Um, you're welcome. Barret is…" Was, not is. Nate had to remind himself. "was, a complete tool. The jerk and his goons were planning on cutting us out, not to mention shooting me."

It was difficult to find the words to respond to this, a simple 'I told you not to come' would be a meaningless phrase. If Nate was right about what Barett was planning, and he had the uncanny tendency of being so. Sully may have never booked a return flight, and he didn't want to think of Nate abandoned again.

No denying it now. The kid had grown on him, like a fungus.

The fan continued click through the silence that hung in the room. Nate picked at the bandage covering the stitches on his arm.

"So what was it like the first time you were shot?" It was something of a unspoken rule between the two, no questions asked about the past. It was easily followed for the most part. Occasionally Sully or Nate volunteered information in small asides, but for how much Nate loved to mouth off about anything and everything he was under lock and key about his life prior to the meeting in Cartagena.

Considering everything Nate had been though, Sully didn't mind bending the rules this time.

"Complex job, long time ago in Cairo. We were holed out in an old building, damn thing was falling apart. Turns out the walls weren't nearly as thick as we thought. Hurt like a bitch, I wasn't nearly as lucky as you were." Sully motioned to the bandage, be in the business as long as he had been and you learn a thing or two about how to dress wounds. "Had to limp my sorry ass back to the rendevous point, was tossed a first aid kit. Stumbling into a clinic with a gunshot wound warrants a lot of unncessary looks and attention."

Sully glanced over his shoulder to the window, as sounds of the street below filtered in.

"Just learned to make sure it didn't happen again, and rub some dirt in it so to speak. Shit happens."

"Thanks" Nate said quietly, as he slipped off the side of the bed.

"No need to thank me, kid." Sully replied, placing a supporting hand on Nate's shoulder. There were still more issues to tackle, it wasn't difficult to sense that there was a lot of turmoil boiling under Nate's unusually quiet demeanor. But that could wait.

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><p>It didn't take them long to pack their bags and get as far away as they could, Boston in fact. The frigid January air and snowy skies a welcome contrast from the tropical heat back in Indonesia.<p>

Sully claimed that they were visting for "research", which wasn't a complete lie. The grin on Nate's face when Sully annouced they'd be stopping by the Boston Public Library was a welcome change. Over the months he'd quickly learned that the easiest way to knock Nate out of a funk was to allow him to find a place where he could curl up, or rather climb up, and get lost in a book. Or ten.

After vanishing amoung students, reading groups and rows upon rows of bookshelves. Nate hours later emerged with a book titled '_El Dorado: And Other Lost Mysteries of the New World"._

"The librarian said I could return it tomorrow, since I technically don't have a card. I offered to put my watch up as collateral, but she wouldn't take it. She said something about not needing to." Nate said with a shrug as they made it back outside. It was getting late, incandescent lamposts were begining to flicker on. Bathing the streets in warm light. "How was the meeting with the client?"

"Same old, same old. Flight isn't until Thurdsday, so you can keep your date with the librian tomorrow." Sully replied, footfalls crunching in the slush.

"What? N-no! Gross." Nate laughed, staring up at Sully in feigned horror. The two continued on, making their way past the barren trees in the Common. Nate stopped, gaze turning to the sky. Watching as his icy breath floated upwards.

"This is my first time being this far north. I've never seen snow like this before, never been this cold either." Nate confessed, rubbing his hands together. Even with the Red Sox sweatshirt (Nate stated that if Sully wan't going to buy it, he'd just lift it), coat, scarf, gloves, and beanie covering increasing shaggy hair Nate still found time to complain about the cold. Sully had finally found an answer to that, at least.

"I always planned on coming here, eventually. Somehow, someway. It's just this is a lot earlier than I ever dreamed. I mean, if none of this ever happened I'd still be back in Cartagena. Indonesia would've never happened, I wouldn't have had to…" Nate sighed loudly in frustration, eyes searching the sky.

"Kid, you did what you had to do."

"Doesn't mean I wanted to." Nate retorted, jamming his hands into his coat pockets.

"No one is ever supposed to want to. Plain and simple, but sometimes when push comes to shove it's the only thing we can do." Sully started to make his way forward, motiong for Nate to catch up. It was understandable that this was eating away at Nate, at least he chose to air this before it started to fester. "Plus, if it's any consolation. You're a better partner than he ever was."

"Really?"

"Yeah, but don't let that get to your head. It's big enough as it is. Now let's get back before you freeze your ass off."


End file.
